Monday, March 17, 2014

Canoecopia 2014!

On March 7th and 8th the Wild River Academy team crossed the Mississippi and headed east to Madison, Wisconsin. Several members of the Paddle Forward Crew accompanied the team on an adventure to Canoecopia!

Canoecopia is the largest paddlesports consumer event in the world, with over 250,000 square feet of kayaks, canoes, Stand Up Paddleboards, outdoor equipment and clothing.

Beyond the paddle gear, Canoecopia hosts organizations and speakers from all over the world to share their knowledge and stories related to paddling. This past weekend six paddle forward members (Erika, Liz, Nick, Natalie, Anna, and Sarah) presented on Saturday and Sunday about the trip.

The presentation on Saturday was filled with a variety of people who were interested in hearing more about the trip. Natalie opened up the presentation with a brief introduction to the trip. It was exciting to remember where we came from and how much we've accomplished since last year. The rest of the presentation included stories and descriptions of the river to the eager audience. The highlight of the presentation was sharing stories about the people we met and radical hospitality we experienced on the trip.

Facebook Pic & Quote from the day: "Reminiscing about the Poché family and friends at mile 149 at our Canoecopia presentation"

After our presentations we enjoyed walking around and talking with vendors and other outdoor organizations. Many people were excited to hear about Wild River Academy's programs and give to our Sponsor a Student to Paddle Campaign! We ran into friends at Bending Branches, Teva, Stone Harbor, Granite Gear, Bunjee Dealy Bobs, Slat Grill, Canoe&Kayak, and MTI.

One of the highlights of the weekend was meeting Jordan and Justin from OAR Northwest. Jordan will be rowing the Mississippi River this fall with a team of people. They will be visiting at least three schools in every state along the River from Minnesota all the way to Louisiana! Beyond the schools they visit, they will be reaching students across the nation through adventure learning. Justin and his partner facilitate the off water education using many different technology tools to deliver their message. You can learn more about OAR Northwest or sign up to follow the adventure online. We're excited to continue conversation and follow the trip!

Overall the weekend was a huge success and we thank everyone who came out to listen to our presentation!